Once upon a Brand: Part Two

The goal of a brand is to connect to the market with emotion and relevance. Make it an engaging, enjoyable experience; have a premise, point, obstacle/solution; and be memorable. Applying storytelling principles to a brand strategy simply makes the journey more efficient and effective.

There is no universal formula to tell stories and build a brand. Defining factors can include the size of the brand world, resources, and category. A memorable brand story can be told with direct intentions or derived from brand positioning, product attributes, or even compelling promotional campaigns.

Last month, I discussed the 10 companies I consider to be the best storytelling and branding organizations. In this edition of my column, I'll expand on what they do, how they do it -- and why.

Apple
I've been addicted to Apple products from the get go. Because I come from an agency background, Apple is the only computer my fingertips have ever touched. When the company first launched in the '80s, part of the market intrigue was the graphic interface and design friendly features. Their early roots set the stage for this powerful brand legend: authentically cool and distinctly designed by and for the creative class. All their market touch points exude a consistent story. There are computers and then there is Apple -- independent-minded, expressive, and innovative. The hip retail stores are complete with Genius bars, informed staff sporting black Apple icon wear, publication characters cut from the same cloth, cool product design, and of course their edgy -- many times co-branded with noted hipsters like U2's Bono -- contemporary advertising.

Southwest Airlines
This one-time small Texas airline has grown to become one of the largest and most profitable airlines in America.

President Colleen C. Barrett explains the company's most effective tactic in telling its brand story: "The Southwest Airlines story has been told so well over the last 34 years that many of our employees knew it before they walked through our doors for a job interview. In most cases it's the reason they wanted to work at Southwest. But you cannot assume that everyone knows your mission and that even tenured employees always carry it top of mind. We invest a lot of time communicating with our employees through the company newsletter, at all points of their training, and during leadership and development classes as they grow in their careers. It is also represented in our events and celebrations and across the hallways of all work locations (our history and culture is memorialized across our system as an 'open scrapbook,' if you will). We never miss an opportunity to share the Southwest spirit with our employees because they are our greatest asset."

Barrett says that the company's biggest challenge in the beginning was "to even win the right to fly." She expands: "The dominant airlines at that time did not want the kind of competition we represented, and they did everything they could from a legal standpoint, to keep us from taking a single flight. Our first four years were spent in administrative hearings or the courtroom! While it was exhausting, that experience laid the foundation of our unique culture today, and that is the 'Warrior Spirit' and a big part of our story. If those other airlines had just left us alone, we probably would have gone out of business very quickly, but our competitors' venom gave our employees a specific mission around which to rally. Our employees love a challenge, and I believe they accomplish their goals better than any company because they are passionate in what they are fighting for -- and they feel they are making a positive difference in people's lives. In terms of our brand, we started out wanting to open up the skies of Texas so that all Texans could afford to fly. Over the years we have evolved that vision into the broader brand of opening up the skies of America and giving everyone the 'freedom to fly.' That keeps you going!"

Aflac
This story is no quack and has certainly stuck on millions of minds. Every time I see or hear a duck -- or for that matter Ben Affleck -- I think "Aflac," and Ben's not even on the payroll! Besides being a memorable and likeable character in the story, the Aflac duck reflects a buying market, people struggling to be heard and frustrated with other products.

The Aflac duck campaign debuted in 2000. Dan Amos, Aflac's CEO and chairman, recognized that an innovative advertising campaign needed to be created so consumers could recall the company name. Current efforts were not working. Aflac was difficult to pronounce and the acronym AFLAC (American Family Life Assurance Company) could be confused with other companies with similar names. Aflac contacted several advertising agencies to come up with a creative campaign to create brand awareness. The Kaplan Thaler Group developed the duck campaign. While brainstorming, the creative team were having difficulty pronouncing the company name. After saying "Aflac" repeatedly, someone recognized that it sounded similar to a duck quack -- hence the Aflac duck!